Microsoft Storage Spaced Direct (S2D) is a relatively new technology for distributed data storage that was introduced in
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and further included in Windows Server 2019 Datacenter. Storage Spaces Direct pools
storage across servers to create software-defined storage (SDS) to ensure cluster high availability. Storage Spaces
Direct architecture can facilitate both converged and hyper-converged scenarios, providing various additional features
like caching, storage tiers, NVMe support, and others to ensure high performance and infrastructure
resiliency.
In addition to erasure coding and innovative caching technologies, Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct promises unparalleled
efficiency and performance at a fraction of the cost of conventional physical shared storage options like NAS or SAN.
Other features include Offline Deduplication, Autotiering, VM-centric snapshots on hypervisor level, two-server
clustering using a USB flash drive as a witness, etc.
Microsoft S2D does indeed have the potential to pool diverse storage into powerful systems but it costing a fraction of
a SAN price is questionable. Storage Spaces Direct comes as the highest-tier Windows Server license. Purchasing S2D
means buying all the Windows Server features, most of which you won't use. It’s also very complex to master and operate.
Thus, cost-efficiency is, in fact, the weakest point of S2D.
Licensing Requires at least 2 nodes (mirror) to create a cluster but Microsoft recommends 4 nodes to properly configure S2D for
production/ License per CPU
Hardware Compatibility Lists Strict HCLs, works only with Hyper-V
Feature Tiers and RestrictionsHighest-tier license, which includes everything Windows Server offers
Monitoring and Management Windows Admin Center, requires a lot of education to master all the features and use them
Flexibility Scaling out is possible only within HCL
StarWind Virtual SAN
Lightweight Windows-native software
Requires 2 nodes for HA / License per node/ Installs into Hyper-V parent partition on existing cluster nodes — SaaS
model, no witness entity necessary
Hardware-agnostic, can be installed in any infrastructure, works with the hypervisor of your choice
Single universal license that varies only by capacity. No socket-derived licensing, no feature paywalls
Unified simple console included
Scalability is available up, down or out regardless of the type of proprietary components
Storage Spaces Direct
StarWind Virtual SAN
Heavy-duty software
Lightweight Windows-native software
Requires at least 2 nodes (mirror) to create a cluster but Microsoft recommends 4 nodes to properly configure S2D for
production/ License per CPU
Requires 2 nodes for HA / Installs into Hyper-V parent partition on existing cluster nodes — SaaS model, no witness
entity necessary
Strict HCLs, works only with Hyper-V
Hardware-agnostic, can be installed in any infrastructure, works with the hypervisor of your choice
Highest-tier license, which includes everything Windows Server offers
Single universal license that varies only by capacity. No socket-derived licensing, no feature paywalls
Windows Admin Center, requires a lot of education to master all the features and use them
StarWind Virtual SAN is an SDS that achieves 99.9999% application uptime and overall high availability (HA) starting
with two nodes already! The solution works with the hypervisor of your choice and can be integrated into any
infrastructure configuration. All features are the same for every license and are available immediately upon purchase.
StarWind VSAN removes the need for physical shared storage and ensures infrastructure resiliency by mirroring disks and
cache between hypervisor servers. It can serve both as the rock-solid foundation for your systems or take your existing
infrastructure to the next level, eliminating vendor lock-in and scalability restrictions.
Budget Efficiency
By limiting the hardware footprint accompanying traditional physical shared storage, StarWind VSAN allows you to double
your savings by lowering CapEx and OpEx. You can forget about additional licensing expenses as well. The difference in price between custom and commodity hardware is evident enough.
Outstanding Simplicity
Despite offering impressive performance, StarWind VSAN is also easy in managing and administering.
You can run it wherever you want, and it doesn't get more simple in configuring.
If you have ever been working with a virtualized environment, you'll have no trouble running and deploying StarWind Virtual SAN.
Feature-Packed Offer
StarWind VSAN isn't limited by just price, reliability, and flexibility. It also offers a set of features such as
server-side cache, NFS support, or Automated Storage Tiering to provide your environment with fault tolerance, high
availability, and maximum performance. You can scale however you want with no vendor lock-in.
To learn more about the benefits, technical criteria, pricing, and configuration of StarWind VSAN, please, feel free to fill out the form below.
